Product category:
Wireless process sensors
News Release from: Sensicast Systems | Subject: SensiNet Open Platform
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 03 October 2007
SensiNet wireless system integrated in
any sensor
The SensiNet Open Platform Enables rapid market entry for OEM WSN offerings with standards-agnostic wireless flexibility and choice between 802.15.4, 802.11 (Wi-Fi), and ISA100 protocols
From its booth (#1876) at the ISA Expo, Sensicast Systems, has announced the SensiNet Open Platform, which allows its SensiNet wireless sensor networking (WSN) system to be easily integrated into existing or new products, so that suppliers can resell it as part of their own line of products and services To meet the varying needs of individual vendors, systems integrators, and OEMs - the SensiNet Open Platform allows Sensicast partners to choose any of the leading wireless industry standards (802.15.4, low power 802.11(Wi-Fi), and ISA100 protocols) they wish to use for their own WSN offering, based upon SensiNet
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 5 Nov 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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"Vendors of systems for industrial and commercial automation, process control and energy management are looking for an easy way to provision wireless sensor monitoring to complement and extend their offerings," said Gary Ambrosino, CEO of Sensicast: "Configurable without engineering, the SensiNet Open Platform has everything vendors need to build and deliver their own wireless sensor network system and generate revenue within 60 days of initial engagement with Sensicast".
The SensiNet building-block approach gives providers of commercial/industrial products and services a powerful and flexible platform to enhance their offerings with a proven wireless sensor solution for monitoring physical environments and conditions.
The SensiNet plug-and-play architecture supports any application and is optimised for interoperability, accommodating a variety of sensor systems on the front end and support for a range of business logic and wireless protocols on the back end.
Further reading
FREE wireless sensor systems buyer's guide
This FREE report (courtesy of Sensicast Systems) provides a helpful overview for anyone considering the deployment of wireless sensor networks
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"As no two enterprises are alike, no two wireless sensor networking deployments are identical," said Ambrosino: "In order to deliver wireless sensor network systems that fit the varied infrastructure and IT profiles of their customers enterprises, OEMs and others can build SensiNet systems that will support their preferred wireless protocol".
Sensicast vendor-partners, whose customers have little-or-no IT infrastructure within their facilities, will likely opt to deploy the Sensicast SensiMesh industry-leading 802.15.4 protocol as the best choice for "Zero-IT" enterprises.
As Frost and Sullivan wrote when it presented Sensicast with its award for "2007 Wireless Sensor Company of the Year," the SensiMesh 802.15.4 standard works out of the box with no investment required to engineer the system.
Hundreds of SensiNet wireless sensor networks are running under 802.15.4 in production networks in facilities worldwide.
Customers new to wireless sensor networking have been asking Sensicast for a version of Wi-Fi enabled SensiNet that will work transparently with their legacy Cisco and Symbol Wi-Fi networks.
Beyond its ability to offer support systems based on the SensiMesh 802.15.4 protocol, the SensiNet Open Platform, allows Sensicast to offer solutions providers a complete SensiNet Wi-Fi system running under IEEE 802.11 b/g.
"Open systems have been a foundation for all progress in networking - wired and wireless - for the past two decades," said Craig Mathias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group (Ashland, MA): "The SensiNet Open Platform enables sensor mesh applications to work over the most appropriate wireless network.
I'm especially intrigued by the inclusion of Wi-Fi, as I expect Wi-Fi to play an increasing role in future sensor network deployments".
"Wireless sensing nodes require low power.
Sensicast is the first wireless sensing company to offer the option of a low-power Wi-Fi based sensor in addition to IEEE 802.15.4" said Harry Forbes of ARC Advisory Group: "The option of 802.11 or Wi-Fi sensors will especially suit applications where new sensors can simply piggy-back on existing Wi-Fi infrastructure.
Wireless sensors have not been able to do this in the past".
To bring its SensiNet Wi-Fi sensor solution to market immediately, Sensicast today announced its on-going development partnership with Gainspan Corporation.
The Gainspan GS1010 Wi-Fi system on a chip will run in SensiNet SmartSensors and deliver unprecedented intelligent power management enabling Wi-Fi SensiNet nodes to operate in industrial facilities for years on a single battery.
Before this new Gainspan/Sensicast functionality, Wi-Fi devices consumed an impractical amount of electricity and were required to be powered through rechargeable, plug-in devices or alternatively, with batteries having a useable life of only a few days.
This breakthrough in wireless sensors now makes it possible to use existing Wi-Fi networks for new applications of wireless sensor networks.
"Gainspan is the first company to meet our stringent requirements for battery-operated Wi-Fi sensor networks," said Gary Ambrosino, CEO of Sensicast.
"We are delighted to partner with Sensicast to integrate the Gainspan low-power Wi-Fi system into a solid platform for rapid development of Wi-Fi SensiNet systems, available from Sensicast, the industry leader in turnkey wireless sensor networking systems," said Vijay Parmar, President and CEO of Gainspan.
"ISA100 is the umbrella under which wireless protocols and standards will coalesce in order for wireless sensor networks to reach critical mass" said Jay Werb, CTO of Sensicast and DLL Technical Editor (for meshlayer) of the ISA100.11a standard: "To meet the demand from customers and partners Sensicast is committed to supporting this true industry standard when it is ratified.
The choice now before vendors (selecting 802.15.4 or Wi-Fi) depends on their various customer needs, applications in use, and the infrastructure of each enterprise.
For optimum flexibility, SensiNet is expressly designed as a modular architecture delivering comprehensive wireless sensor network functionality with support for multiple protocols," said Werb.
For more information on how The SensiNet Open Platform can be put to work for your products, services and end-user customers, contact Paul Richards, VP of Sales at Sensicast.
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